Near Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Sacriﬁce of the 1st Minnesota

July 2, 1863 - Second Day

By Craig Swain, December 27, 2008

1. Sacrifice of the 1st Minnesota Marker

Inscription. "Every man realized in an instant what that order meant - death or wounds to us all, the sacrifice of a regiment to gain a few minutes' time..."Lieut. William Lochren, U.S.A.1st Minnesota Infantry

Late on the afternoon of July 2, after the collapse of the Union line at the Peach Orchard, Confederate infantry in front of you threatened to pour through a gap in the Union line here. When Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, commander of the Union Second Corps, rode up to assess the situation, only one regiment was at hand to stop the Confederate tide - the 1st Minnesota.

"My God, are these all the men we have here?" Hancock asked. It was, but they would have to do. "Charge those lines!" shouted Hancock, and immediately the lone regiment swept down the slope "double quick." With levelled bayonets, the Minnesotans crashed into Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox's Alabamians who outnumbered them 4-to-1.

The charge broke the Confedereate ranks and stalled the Southerners long enough for Union reinforcements, but at a terrific cost. According to a regimental officer, of the 262 Minnesotans in the charge, only 47 escaped death or injury.

Erected by Gettysburg National Military Park.

Location. 39° 48.4′ N, 77°

By Craig Swain, December 27, 2008

2. 1st Minnesota Marker and Monument

14.105′ W. Marker is near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. Marker is at the intersection of Hancock Avenue and Humphreys Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Hancock Avenue. Touch for map. Located south of the Pennsylvania Memorial in Gettysburg National Military Park. Marker is in this post office area: Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America.

More about this marker. In the center is a painting depicting the 1st Minnesota's Charge. Col. William Colvill (with hand raised at center) leads the 1st Minnesota Infantry in a daring bayonet charge against Wilcox's Confederate Brigade (left). More than 200 Union officers and men were killed or wounded in the

By Craig Swain, December 27, 2008

3. Charge of the 1st Minnesota

On a foggy day at Gettysburg, looking from the base of the 1st Minnesota monument to the west in the direction of the regiment's charge.

charge. The Confederates also suffered heavy losses.

On the right side is a photo of Cpl. William N. Irvine of the 1st Minnesota Infantry who survived the charge here, but died less than one year later at Petersburg.

Below the painting is a drawing of the 1st Minnesota Infantry Monument which marks the spot where the Union charge began. The bronze infantryman with fixed bayonet indicates the direction of the charge.

Also see . . . 1. Cemetery Ridge. National Park Service virtual tour stop. (Submitted on February 1, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on February 1, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,743 times since then and 2 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 1, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.